Article and method of making the same



Nov. 4, 194i. w. DUNN ARTICLE lAND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME L'iled June 3, 1937 Zia m n mm EN, m m 1M A MB Patented Nov. 4, 1941 2,261,875 ARTICLE AND METHOD 0F MAKING THE SABIE William Dunn, Yonkers, N. Y.,

assig'nor to Sylvania Industrial Corporation, Fredericksburg,

Va., a corporation of Virginia Application June 3, 1937, Serial No. 146,188 (ci. eis-ss) 4 Claims.

The invention relates in general to shrinkable container closures and, in particular, to shrinkable container closures having means associated therewith to facilitate their removal from containers and to correlated improvements in the process for producing the same.

shrinkable container closures of the cap and band type have long been in use for the purposey of providing a permanent, reliable, and attractive seal on containers. The many advantages of thesel closures have been recognized in the packaging art but their many cases to the ever present problem of eifectively breaking and removing the closures by the one who is to use the contents of the container. I'he shrunken closures of the type referred to are characterized by being very tough and of a horny nature. To remove such closures it has been necessary to remove the same by means of a sharp instrument suchv as a knife which has, in many instances, led to the injury of the person opening the container.

The general object of the invention is to obviate the above and other disadvantages.

The specic object of the invention is to provide a shrinkable container closure which may be removed from a container without the use of extraneous devices or implements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shrinkable container closure having means integrally associated therewith to facilitate the removal of the closure from a container.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a process for producing shrinkable container closures having means integrally associated therewith for removing the closure from a container.

A further object of the invention is to provide tearing means associated with a shrinkable container closure in such a manner as not to affect the tear resistance of the closure during shrinkage.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and the article possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements, which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

According to the invention there is provided a shrinkable container closure formed of a shrinkable colloidal material and having a tearing tab formed integrauy therewith. The tab may be.

formed by punching or cutting the material while use has been restricted in gelatin, casein or the like.

in a dry or wet condition and preferably while in a wet or gel-state.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had ,g to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate shrinkable closures of the band type having a tearing tab of the in-v vention formed integrally therewith;

Figs. 3-5 show further closure of the invention;

Fig. 6 illustrates the closure of Fig. 1 applied to a container;

Fig. 7 shows the structure shown in Fig. 6 during tearing;-

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6; and

Figs. 9 and 10 each illustrate a stage in thestep of removing a closurer of the invention from a container.

The closure may be formed of any suitable colloidal material which will shrink upon the loss of moisture and/or solvent or swelling agent such, for example, as cellulose hydrate, cellulose esters, cellulose ethers and Oxy-ethers, synthetic resins, In the formation of bands the colloidal material is extruded in the form of a seamless tubing which is subsequently severed transversely to produce bands of the desired length. Cap-type closures are produced by dipping a mandrel in a solution or dispersion of the colloidal material and subsequently stripping the cap from the mandrel. l

Referring to Fig. l there is shown a relatively wide shrinkable band I in a flattened state having a -pair of diametricallyvopposed tearing tabs 2 embodiments of the formed by cuts 3 each of which terminates in a perforation Il. The tabs 2 are preferably formed ,in a single punching operation by means of a die which will simultaneously form the perforations d and the cuts 3. 'I'he band is die cut While in a flattened condition as shown in Fig. l so that both the top and bottom sides of the seamless U-shaped tabs as shown in Fig. 6. The die punching operation may be carried out simultaneously with the conventional operation of severing the bands from a continuous seamless tubing.

In Fig. 2 there is shown a. shrinkable closure 5 having a single tearing tab 6 formed by a cut 'l which terminates in rounded perforations 8. When a single tearing tab is provided in a closure of this type it is preferableto position the top portion of the tab near one end of the closure band are cut in a single operation thus forming materially enhances so that the major portion of the length `ofV the band may be torn by the tearing tab.

A long relatively narrow band 9 such as is used on bottles is shown in Fig. 3 in an opened condition and is provided with tearing tabs I defined by punched-out portions Il terminating in rounded portions I2. In this embodiment the band may also be punched vat the creased edge while in a flattened condition so that both the upper and lower layers are simultaneously cut to form a pair of diametrically opposed tearing tabs. If two sets of tearing bands are desired, the closure may be punched through the middle, while in a flattened condition, with a die designed to coincide with the punched out portion as shown.

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 comprises a cap I3 having a pair of tearing tabs Il defined by cuts I5 terminating in perforations I5. A series of parallel perforations or weakened lines I'I and- I8 may be provided to facilitate the tearing of a substantially uniform strip around the closure.v This series of perforations or weakened lines may be formed simultaneously with the formation of the tear tabs by the use of a suitably designed die.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 5 and which may be formed by simultaneously die-punching a Vflattened closure I9 to form a tearing tab 20, two parallel rows of perforations 2i extending vertically from each side of the base portion of the tab and a second series of perforations 22 extending transversely around the closure. vIn removing this embodiment from a container the tab will be pulled upwardly to tear out a strip between the two rows of perforations 2| after which the corner 23 will act as a tab to permit tearing to follow the perforations 22. The embodiments shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are particularly suited for liquor bottles to be used for bar consumption as the lower remaining portion of the closure will serve to retain the tax stamp on the bottle during use as required by law.

In Fig. 26 there is shown acontainer 23a such as the Mason jar type having applied thereto a closure I of the type shown in Fig. 1. Upon shrinking, the closure will snugly embrace the container and the opposed cut edges in the closure will draw away from each other so as to form open spaces between the tearing tabs 2 and between the tearing tabs and the adjacent edges .of the closure. Due to the absence of any tension during drying the tearing tabs very conveniently shrink in such a manner as to form a curl vat their extremities as will be more fully described hereinafter.

In removing the closure I from the container 23a the tearing tabs 2 are pulled whereby a tearing action rsults as shown in Fig. 7. After the tearing is completed the remainder of the closure maybe easily removed.

As hereinbefore disclosed the tearing tabs automatically assume an outward curi or are caused to .project outwardly during the shrinking operation as illustrated in Fig. 8 which is a view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6. The p0rtions 2 show the relationship of the tearing tabs before drying and shrinking and theV portions 2 indicate their relative drying or shrinkage. ing tabs has proved This curling oi the tearto be a distinct asset and the value of the structure as the gripping of the tabs is facilitated considerably. lin the production ofband-type lcloposition after complete sures the dontinuous length of tubing. from which the bands are subsequentlyv severed, is

usually processed in a flattened condition thereby forming two longitudinal creases or ribs. As hereinbefore stated. it is preferable to diepunch the tubing at the creased edge thereby forming tabs having a rib 32 extending longitudinally through the center thereof and which functions to strengthen or reenforce the tab.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 1 wherein a shrlnkable closure 2l is shown shrunk about the neck portion of a bottle 25 to effectively form a seal between the stopper, screw-cap or like closure 26 and the bottle 25. The closure 24 is provided with tearing tabs 21 and 21a in the same manner as herelnbefore described. In removing the clossure 24 from the bottle 25 the tearing tabs 21 and 21a may be pulled in their respective directions in the same manner as shown in Fig. 7 or the tab 21 may be pulled upwardly as shown in Fig. 9 and removed, after which the portion 28 as shown in Fig. 10 may be grasped and pulled outwardly and around to cause transverse tearing to take place along the line 29. This latter method of removing only the upper portion of the closure 24 is particularly useful for bartenders or others serving liquor as the remaining lower portion of the closure serves to retain the ends of the tax stamp 30 on the liquor bottle as required by law.

While many of the embodiments shown in the drawing are provided with two tearing tabs it is also within the purview of the invention to provide shrinkable closures having only one or having more than two tearing tabs. In removing only the upper portion of a closure as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 only the upper tab 21 would be necessary. However, the crown portion of the same should be positioned at or below the joint 3| formed between the closure 26 and the bottle 25 so as to insure complete exposure of the closure 26 after breaking of the seal.

While several embodiments have been shown and described and while several others are contemplated within the purview of this invention it is highly important in all cases that the cuts or punched out portions forming the tearing means should be spaced away from the edges of the seamless closures to insure against any possibility of a tear resulting during shrinkage. Moreover, the cut should terminate in smoothly cut roundedareas or perforations to avoid splitting or tearing during shrinkage.

The shape of the tearing tabs is governed by the curvature of the cuts or cut out portions which may be `varied to produce the desired shaped tab. The expression U-shaped is used herein to generically connote a tearing tab of any'suitable shape whether it be U-shaped, V- shaped, square-shaped, dove-tailed, or any configuration of intermediate shape.

The shrinkable closures of the invention may be transparent, translucent or opaque and may have any suitable indicia applied thereto which may in certain instances cooperate with the tab portions. The shrinkable closures of the invention may be of the window-type employed on liquor bottles in which case it is highly preferable to form the tearing tabs in the transparent areas so as not to interfere with the indicia usually applied to the translucent or opaque areas. over, the transparent areas, which are free from loading materials such as Morepigments, respond more favorably to the tearing action c'aused by the tearing means of the invention.

While the tearing tabs have been illustrated as being positioned to cause tearing either longitudinally and/or transversely with respect to the closure it is within the purview of the invention to dispose the tabs at any convenient angle or location provided the cut or punched out portions do not directly communicate with the edges of the closure. In the case of the cap-type closures, a tab or tabs may be formed on the crown portion of the same.

While the closures of the invention may be composed of any suitable shrinkable colloidal material it is highly preferred to employ closures composed of cellulose hydrate which may be derived from the regeneration of viscose, cupraammonium solutions of cellulose or from the deesterication of cellulose esters such as cellulose nitrate.

Since certain'changes in carrying out the above process, and certain modiiications in the article which embody the invention may be made without departing from its scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover al1 of the generic 'Cil ` structed and arranged and speciilc features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. A sealed container, comprising, in combination, a container and a closure composed of a colloidal -material shrunk thereon, the closure being provided with a U-shaped cut dening a tearing tab, the tab being reenforced longitudiin rounded cut out portions. a

2. An article of manufacture of the -character described, comprising, in tainer having a mouth, a member adapted to close said -mouth, and an outer encircling seal conto cooperate .with said member in closing said mouth, said `sealbeing formed of flexible, frangible, material in such a manner as initially to encircle loosely the closure member and subsequently to shrink tightly thereon during evaporative dehydration, andemeans to facilitate the removal of said seal, said means in# cluding a tongue sloping outwardly from the seal, said tongue being formed by a line of cut-the opposite ends of which diverge with respect to one another, with the longitudinal axis of the tongue extending in thegeneral direction of the longitudinal axis of the container.

3. A cellulose cylindrical shrinking closure for containers, said closure being provided with a tongue portion formed in the body thereof by a line of cut the oppositeends ofrwhich diverge with respect direction of 4. A cellulosic cylindrical shrinking closure for containers, said closurebeing provided with a tongue portion formed in the body thereof by a.

diverging lines will not be extended beyond the perforations during of the closure.

' .W11.L1AMDUNN..

nally, and the ends Iof the U-shaped cut termi-- nating combination, a conf to one another,with thelongitudinal axis of the tongue extending in vthe general the longitudinal axis of the cylin drical closure. 

